Surname Single - Meaning and Origin
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Single: What does the surname Single mean?
The last name Single is an occupational surname, originally found in medieval Britain. The term "single" referred to people who were involved in the manufacturing of roofing materials, specifically, wooden shingles used for covering roofs and walls of buildings. In this context, a "single-man" was the one who split wooden blocks into shingles. Here, the name Single was given to the person working with these shingles in a way similar to other occupational surnames such as Baker, Fisher, or Smith. These names started being used as family surnames around the 12th and 13th centuries. Over time, as the family generations passed, Single became a last name passed down to subsequent generations. In some cases, the surname Single could also reflect the family's place of origin if it was an area known for its production of wooden shingles. Therefore, the surname Single has strong historical and cultural connotations related to the manual labor and craftsmanship of medieval times. It is relatively rare and can be found in various parts of the world, often due to lineage or immigration.
Order DNA origin analysisSingle: Where does the name Single come from?
The last name Single is mainly found within the United States today. It originated from Massachusetts in the 1700s and has since spread throughout the country, primarily in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Single is a German-derived name, possibly deriving from the Low German word singel, meaning “angler”.
The last name is most common in New York. According to records, 2,823 people in the U.S. bear the last name. In Massachusetts, 1,746 of the people have the surname Single, making it the second-most common surname in the state. Other states where it’s prominent include Pennsylvania, California, Ohio, Virginia, Texas, Michigan and Indiana.
In the 2010 U.S. Census, approximately 10,000 people had this last name. Interestingly, the greatest frequency of this surname was in the central Appalachian region of the United States, particularly in Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. However, it does not appear to be an especially common surname in Canada or the United Kingdom.
The last name Single is well represented on genealogy forums in terms of history and family tales. People with the name are embarking on the journey of researching their ancestry, connecting with other Single’s in different states and finding out in what direction their family tree has grown.
Variations of the surname Single
Single is an English surname of Anglo-Saxon and Germanic origin, derived from the Old English word 'Singel', meaning a single person or a hermit. This name was likely first used to refer to a person who lived a solitary life or was unmarried. Single can also be found with alternate spellings such as Singles, Singel, Singeler, Singlies and Singelton.
Variants of the Single surname include Singelmann, Singelin, Singl, Singler, Singleton and Singletary. This surname is also found as a variant of the Dutch Singelenberg, which derived from the Old Dutch elements 'singel' meaning solitary and 'berg' meaning hill or mountain.
The Irish Last Name Singleton is a variant of Singleton and is composed of two elements: the Irish Gaelic word 'singalt' meaning single and 'or' meaning mound. The variant Singletary originates from the Old German word 'singold' meaning a single or unmarried person. The name Singelston is a Scottish variant of the surname Singleton.
The surname Single can also be found as a surname with Jewish origins, derived from the German word 'singel', meaning a single-person or a hermit. This was given as an occupational name to denote a single-man or hermit. Variants of the name include Singlar, Singal and Singaloff. Singlet is another Jewish surname derived from the Yiddish word 'singlet' meaning a single person.
Famous people with the name Single
- Bernhard Single: German professional footballer.
- TJ Single: American figurative artist, art instructor, and museum curator.
- Tom Single: British bassist and session musician.
- Michael Single: Austrian academic and professor of political science.
- Lukas Single: German professional freestyle skier.
- Dominik Single: German singer and songwriter.
- Nathalie Single: Stella McCartney supermodel and French actress.
- Nadine Single: German swimmer.
- D.J. Single: American astrophysicist and professor of physics and astronomy.
- Anna Single: Scottish professional hammer thrower and olympic athlete.
- Jamie Single: British sprinter.
- Fritz Single: Swiss contemporary artist, conceptual art theorist, and art professor.
- Harry Single: Canadian professional hockey player.
- Jerry Single: American saxophonist and jazz musician.
- Nicole Single: Austrian singer-songwriter.
- Joshua Single: Canadian professional ice hockey player.
- Martin Single: German politician and former member of the Bundestag.
- Michael Single: English film director.
- Cindy Single: American television producer.
- Brian Single: Australian racing cyclist.